Planning and Preservation

Morris County Voters will be asked on the Nov. 4, 2025 General Election ballot whether dollars from the county’s Open Space, Farmland, Floodplain Protection and Historic Preservation Trust Fund may be used for stewardship of properties already permanently preserved.

If approved, Morris County would be able to establish a program to support habitat restoration, invasive species reduction, reforestation and green infrastructure improvements on publicly preserved lands, but not general maintenance. No tax increase will result if voters approve the ballot question. The program would utilize funds previously collected and unexpended through the voter-approved Preservation Trust Fund.

A full copy of the Preservation Trust Fund Review Committee’s report and information about the Morris County Preservation Trust Fund is available on the county website.  

To read the full press release visit: https://www.morriscountynj.gov/Morris-County-News/Voters-to-Decide-if-Trust-Fund-Will-Support-Open-Space-Stewardship

On June 25, 2025, the Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board recommended to the Commissioners the funding of $2.6 million for the 2025 Historic Preservation Trust Fund to help preserve 24 historic sites in 15 towns across Morris County.

Please see the 2025 Historic Preservation Grant Recommendations.

Morris County is marking more than three decades of land preservation by launching an interactive online ArcGIS StoryMap© that highlights the history, scope and impact of the Morris County Open Space Trust Fund.

Developed by the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation, the Open Space StoryMap offers a detailed look at the nearly 300 projects supported by the fund since it was established by voter referendum in 1992. The platform includes interactive maps, photographs, and data showing the extent of preserved lands by municipality and region, as well as multimedia features to enhance the user experience.

View the Open Space StoryMap

Watch the Video About Morris County's Open Space Preservation

Read the Full Press Release

The following Morris County municipalities received their Letter of Final Determinations (LFD) on February 19th. These municipalities will have 180 days to update their ordinances with the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS). Ordinance updates and adoptions should occur prior to August 19th.  The municipalities given these updates are:

• Borough of Butler
• Township of East Hanover
• Borough of Kinnelon
• Township of Montville
• Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills
• Borough of Riverdale
• Borough of Lincoln Park
• Township of Pequannock
  
  

The remaining Morris County municipalities do not need to act. Preliminary issuance of the digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for the remaining municipalities is expected in Spring 2025. For more information, contact NJDEP at 877-927-6337 or FEMA Region 2 Office at 212-680-3600.

The Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation has released the application form for the 2025 funding round of municipal/non-profit open space projects under the Morris County Preservation Trust Fund. Any of the 39 municipalities in the county and qualified non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for funding.

The 2025 open space application and list of other required application materials can be found online.

All application materials are due by4:30 PM on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

Program rules now include costs for demolition and restoration of a property (up to a maximum of 10% of the eligible land cost, or $50,000 whichever is less) as allowable costs under the program.

Please contact Barbara Murray in the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation at (973) 829-8120 or bmurray@co.morris.nj.us for further information on the program or application process.

In honor of Día de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation acknowledged last year’s launch of an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap© of Morris County cemeteries with a trip to the Orchard Street Cemetery and Gatehouse in Dover.

The Orchard Street Cemetery Gatehouse, built around 1875, is the latest historical site to benefit from the $3.6 million in grants that were allocated from Morris County’s Preservation Trust Fund to help restore, preserve and further protect 21 historic sites in 16 towns across the county.

Read the full press release. 

This fall, the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts will be kicking off “Rising Together, NJ,” a social media campaign that encourages people to come together to share their experiences with flooding in New Jersey. Ultimately, the goal is to compile these experiences into an archive everyone can use to support flood risk outreach and education efforts.

Learn more and share your story!